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Maintaining the compost pile doesn’t have to be a lot of work. Basically any pile of organic pile will eventually rot into fertilizer. It’s just a question of how long it takes.

One key to maintaining your compost pile is to get it off to a good start in the first place. This means locating it in a level well-drained area. Also keep in mind that if you dispense with the freestanding outdoor compost pile in the first place & opt to put the waste in the bin you’ll save yourself a lot of work. This way you do not have to worry about the compost becoming to wet. If it does become too wet it may become infested with bugs or viruses or reek enough that your neighbors will start complaining.

A big part of maintaining the compost pile is keeping it accessible to your kitchen. It must be fed generously & regularly with kitchen scraps. Keeping too much vegetable & fruit matter in your kitchen can start to smell so locating the compost pile near the door of your kitchen is a good idea. This is because if the compost pile is too far away you might forget to use it.

Compost piles have a bit of heat going on inside of their core. This is due to all of the enzymes & aerobic activity inside transforming the waste into soil fertilizer & soil conditioner. If you live in a colder climate then locate the pile in a sunny spot to trap solar heat. This will help to keep your compost pile biologically active. One hint with regards to this is to locate the compost pile in a place where it’s sheltered from strong or very chilly northern winds.

If you live in a really hot arid climate you might actually have to water the compost pile a bit. At the very least keep it in a shady, sheltered spot so that it doesn’t dry out & blow away. Anaerobic organisms that create compost can not thrive in a desert climate so you’ll need to pay extra attention to maintain the compost heap as it will not likely degrade very rapidly by itself… In fact it may not degrade at all. The inability of the desert climate to create compost is part of the reason that nothing grows in a desert in the first place.

It is also easier to maintain the compost if you build it over earth rather than over concrete or asphalt. This is because the earthworms that you want to lure to your compost heap do not live in concrete & asphalts. Also earthworms, beneficial microbes & beneficial bacteria will migrate up & down the compost heap helping it to degrade & bringing it nutrients. Locating your compost pile over earth also gives the compost heap better drainage. Unlike concrete or asphalt the earth can also help a pile of compost retain moisture so it doesn’t dry out & blow away.

To keep virtually everyone happy including the neighbors attempt to locate a big compost pile in a place where both its sometimes-unpleasant odors & visually displeasing aspects are well hidden ? perhaps behind a shed or a bush.

It is truly hard to fail when it comes to composting. Do you follow? This is because it really is a natural organic process. Clear? If you must remember two things about composting it’s to a) keep feeding it scraps & b) keep turning it over to air it out. If you maintain the compost by habitually doing these two things you can not help but succeed in produce the fertilizer that is perfect for your garden.

Learn all about composter containers & how to make compost at Bins for Compost.

Did you ever wish to have the type of garden which would produce delicious vegetables, fruits, & flowers throughout the whole year? Did you even know that was possible? Well it’s - if you do hydroponic gardening! And you can create a hydroponic garden in your own home.

The secret to successful & productive hydroponic vegetable gardening year round is in finding the right well-balanced nutrient solution. The nutrient solution that you use to circulate around the roots of your plants will create for you a happy & healthy vegetable plant or it will kill it… The proper nutrient levels must be easily found & maintained. Here is a quick checklist of items that should be checked & maintained to create an environment conducive to a healthy thriving plant.

The pH level of the plant determines the type of nutrient solution they need. The plants that thrive on acid need a pH level below 7 while other plants will need a pH level above that.

Also, to maintain best absorption of the nutrient solution, it’s necessary to make certain proper air circulation is occurring at the roots of the plant. A waterlogged plant will certainly not thrive!

Pre-mixed nutrient solutions can be easily found from a variety of sources & can even be made by the home gardener. But if you’re a beginner at hydroponic gardening you may want to opt for the pre-mixed nutrient solutions.

The basic ingredients for any hydroponic solution contains a proper mix of potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate & magnesium sulfate. These must be fully dissolved in the mixture before being circulated through the vegetable plants’ root systems.

Micro-nutrients such as boric acid, manganese chloride, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate & iron sulfate are often used in the nutrient solution as well.

The nutrient solution can be often used for a maximum of two weeks when plants are small. Once plants have matured the nutrient solution should be replaced every week.

Many hydroponic plants are grown in a greenhouse. The correct mixture of carbon dioxide in the air is necessary in order for these plants to thrive. This can be done a number of ways that includes: - burning hydrocarbon fuels - dry ice - decomposition of organic matter - compressed bottled carbon dioxide

Maintaining a proper temperature is also very important for their survival. The ideal temperature for your plants is normally between forty to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal temperature for a particular plant growing will vary however.

In addition, if it’s too humid it may not actually be healthy for your plant. A very dry climate isn’t good for most plants either.

The amount of light your plants receive can cause your plant to thrive or it can doom your plant. Too much light will dry out your plants while too little light will be ineffective. Different plants will respond differently to light & many hydroponic gardeners will have to experiment with different light to attain the ideal environment for the plants’ growth.

Some plants may be affected by air pollution while others are not. If this is an issue, you may want to grow plant species that are not bothered by air pollution,

In summary, plants are affected by the following elements: pH balance, light, air, water, temperature, & pollution. If you take all of these things into consideration in your particular hydroponic vegetable garden your plants will be sure to thrive.

Author of Hydroponic Gardening: Tony Buel Article Found at: Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening

Making compost will often help you reduce pollution & cut down that landfill! Your plants will grow healthier & look happier for it & it will save you money on fertilisers too. Our local council in Manchester has now given us brown bins for us to add leaves, grass & other compost matter into, which is then emptied every two weeks once it has reduced to less than ½ its size. And so… So far so good. What is compost?

Garden guides often describe composting as natures way of recycling.

Composting is indeed a natural way of recycling, harnessing natural processes rather than machinery & man-made chemicals, but it takes people to do it… Soil maintenance is at the heart of organic growing: dont feed the plants, feed the soil — the plants will look after themselves. There is more. The very complex subject of soil maintenance can happily be summed up in one word: composting. A smelly hole at the far end of the garden filled with putrefying kitchen wastes & flies buzzing round. Thats what compost isnt. No stinks, no flies, though kitchen waste is welcome. Compost isn’t just decayed organic matter. Composting is applied microbiology at its most complex, involving the interactions of thousands upon thousands of different species of micro organisms in a highly complex ecosystem. What can I compost? If it can rot it will compost, but some items are best avoided. Some things, like grass mowings & soft young weeds, rot quickly. They work as activators or hotter rotters, getting the composting started, but on their own will decay to a smelly mess. Recycle your plant-based, kitchen & garden waste by making it into compost Older & tougher plant material is slower to rot but gives body to the finished compost - & usually makes up the bulk of a compost heap. Woody items decay very slowly; they’re best chopped or shredded first, where appropriate. A container or brown bin isn’t an absolute necessity as you can make perfectly good compost in a free standing heap as long as it’s large enough. You’ll see later why this may be a drawback. Assuming then that we need to make a container we’re faced with many choices. Why not make or buy a compost bin? Theyre usually cheap to buy, & are available in wood or recycled plastic (that might otherwise be in your local landfill site). If youre keen you could combine it with a wormery or use a shredder which increases the amount of compostable waste. Do not compost foods such as dairy produce, meat, bread etc as these attract flies & vermin.

How do I know when its done?

That depends. What was a pile of plant material will gradually, from the bottom up, turn into a pile of dark stuff that looks like brown dirt. Eventually, none of the items you put in there will be recognizable. If youre using it out in the garden, a few small recognizable bits wont hurt - theyll finish composting in the garden. If youre using it for houseplants or to start seeds, its better to wait until its well finished so you dont have microbes attacking the fine rootlets of new plants.

Dig it in to have a healthy, fertile garden & your fruit & vegetables can be organic. Dont assume the waste is harmless & bin it… Putting it in landfill costs money & it will produce methane (a global warming gas); also it may pollute the groundwater.

Compost waste often comprises about 20-30% of your total household waste & the impact on recycling is significant.

Looking for many more Gardening Articles?

Davinos Greeno works for the organic & ethical directory that lists 100s of Organic & Ethical Companies & we also have Organic Articles for you to read or publish.

Many vegetable gardeners are keen to get started for the season well before spring is here, but tend to wait until the last frost has passed. But there’re many ways to add weeks or more to both ends of the growing season, giving you earlier produce & higher yields.
If finances permit you could go all out & purchase a poly tunnel, or a heated greenhouse (although the energy requirements for this adds to costs & is less environmentally friendly). However, most of us can afford the following suggestions.

1. Cold Frames are basically small structures that create the same kinds of conditions that a glasshouse does, but on a much smaller & more affordable scale. Many gardeners make their own from a metal or wooden frame that has a glass or plastic lid. Sunshine is then used to warm the enclosed area. It can sometimes be used to heat up the soil for a few weeks prior to seeding & be left in place for a few weeks after seedlings have come through ? protecting the tender seedlings from frost at night. Opening the lid of your cold frame on sunny days will stop over-heating.
You can also use cold frames to get trays of seedlings started early.

2. Floating Row Covers can be often used for longer rows. There is more. They are made from fabric that is specifically designed for crop protection. They are porous & so allow sunlight, water, & some air through for ventilation. The fabric is light weight so can easily be supported with PVC or similar. Floating row covers offer 4-5 degrees of frost protection. An additional benefit is that they screen diseases & pest insects so your yields are not just earlier, but often of better quality. Some crops require pollination or may be sensitive to heat, so care must be taken to get rid of covers at the right time to allow for the special needs of particular plants.
A cloche is a similar concept to floating row covers, but is generally made from plastic. It can sometimes be used to cover rows or just an individual plant. A 2litre soft-drink bottle could be used as a very basic cloche for a single plant.

3. A very simple & sometimes overlooked way to prolong your harvest is to Keep Picking. Many plants will start to slow down if the fruit is left on the plant. Once a plant has set seed its primary purpose is complete. And so… So if you leave your capsicum (peppers), beans, zucchini, eggplant etc. to ripen, you’ll limit your yields. Keep picking fresh young vegetables & they will be replaced with more fresh young vegetables. Give them a light feed mid-summer ? not too much nitrogen ? to keep them producing as long as possible.

Keeping your vegetable plants healthy is one of the best ways make certain you’ll have a long producing vegetable garden. Succession planting means planting the same type of vegetable every two to three weeks to bring you a longer & continual supply of your favourite vegetables. There is more. This also extends your harvesting time. And so… Succession plant well into autumn (fall), searching for late varieties & implement these three techniques so that you have a bountiful harvest.

Hi, I’m an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It’s my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. Do you follow? This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Please visit my website & get your free 3 part Composting Guide. For Companion Planting info click here. Happy gardening, healthy living?
Julie Williams
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

Some organic gardeners consider hydroponic gardening non-organic since it does not use soil. They believe that true organic gardening is impossible without rich, loamy soil. After all, organic gardening is based closely on good soil. However, organic hydroponic gardening does exist, & even has some advantages over conventional organic gardening.

Using Less Soil

Organic hydroponic gardening is based closely on the same principles as usual organic gardening, but it does not use the soil. Organic hydroponic gardening relies on water to provide the nutrients needed for plant growth. Organic hydroponic gardening still requires a growing medium, something solid to put the plants’ roots into. The growing medium isn’t the source of nutrients, however; it’s as sterile as a chemically fertilized monoculture wheat field. The growing medium is simply a structure to root the plants into & to hold the nutrient-filled water.

In organic hydroponic gardening the growing medium can be of any organic material. Vermiculite & perilte are often used. (Be careful when handling vermiculite, as it’s a source of asbestos). Straw, cotton, plant fiber or any other organic material are all good choices, too.

Water is Essential

Organic hydroponic gardening relies on dissolving substances in water to provide nutrients for the plants. So… So, anything that goes into the water must be organic in order to comply with organic gardening rules. So… So-called compost tea is often used in organic hydroponic gardening. It’s made by soaking compost in water & straining out the solid material. The water gets enriched with nutrients & then is used to feed the plants.

Manure tea is also used in hydroponic gardening. Manure tea can be a source of bacterial contamination of the produce, including contamination with lethal varieties of E. coli. Therefore, manure should be well-composted or sterilized before making manure tea. You make it the same way you make compost tea, i.e. by dissolving the manure in water & straining out the solid material.

Further organic choices include seaweed & fish emulsion. There’re no special fertilizers because you continually circulate & refresh the nutrient mixture.

Special Uses

Organic hydroponic gardening has a special niche in the organic gardening landscape. Its biggest advantage is that it fits anywhere, & requires no soil to support the plants’ growth.

Organic hydroponic gardening is an excellent alternative allowing to grow crops in parts of the world where the soil has been over-farmed & is too depleted to grow food. Organic hydroponic gardening is used in outer space living & will almost certainly be part of any attempt to colonize the moon or another planet. Organic hydroponic gardening is being used for urban gardens on rooftops, allowing urbanites to grow healthy food in wasted space. This is because not every rooftop can support the weight of soil for traditional organic gardening.

As you see, hydroponic gardening can also be organic. Of course, it’s different from traditional gardening, but it has a number of its own advantages. And last but not least, organic hydroponic gardening does let you grow healthy, sustainable, organic food.

For more information on Organic hydroponic gardening check out http://www.myorganicgardeningsecrets.com You will find loads of tips & techniques plus you will find answers to questions many others in your situation have asked before. But Hurry! For a limited time you can get your very own copy of our award winning Organic Gardening Software at absolutely no cost.

The popularity of organic food & gardening has certainly increased over the last few years. Not only does it give you a sense of well being but people love the beauty of wonderful colored flowers & the taste of vegetables they helped create. Organic gardening tips on how to successfully start & care for an organic garden are becoming easier to find as this type of gardening continues to become more popular. Along with being relaxing, it’s a very interesting hobby. Anyone can organically produce wonderful fruits, herbs & vegetables & know that they’re healthy to eat & pesticide, herbicide & chemical free. There will always be garden pests but instead of using chemicals to deal with this problem, there’re many organic gardening tips to get rid of them, similar to the way gardeners did many years ago before the use of pesticides & herbicides.

A good homemade pest deterrent to use in organic gardening is:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid & 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture & 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, & other pests.

Following a few organic gardening tips, you’ll produce fruits, vegetables & herbs that are healthy, taste wonderful, are less expensive than purchasing produce at the grocery store & give you the peace of mind knowing exactly how they were grown & what was used on them. Aphids are annoying little insects that often cause a lot of bad damage in your garden. If you plant marigolds near your vegetable garden, the aphids will quit bothering your plants. If you already have an aphid problem, spray the infected plants with diluted soapy water & then spray them again with clear water. Organic gardening tips you should attempt are; instead of purchasing compost for your garden, which could contain chemicals, make your own while you cut down on garbage at the same time. Using your garden & kitchen waste is an excellent & very easy way to make your own compost. In your compost pile use peelings from carrots, potatoes & other vegetables, dead weeds, coffee grounds, egg shells & even the pruning from roses & other plants. The different textures help break down the compost quickly. Compost improves the soil texture, structure & aeration while enriching the soil, which stimulates root development. When choosing plants for your organic garden, make certain you select ones that are well adapted for your area.

Here are a couple of great organic gardening tips that not just help keep your garden free of weeds but also keep the soil from drying out too quickly. Grass clippings & pine needles mixed or old newspapers make very good mulch, which keeps your garden weed free & the soil moist. Organic gardening tips help you grow healthy organic fruits & vegetable that you, your family & friends will love.

Most important of all, is to enjoy your organic garden & the fruits of your labor. Not only will you have the satisfaction of growing vegetables & herbs organically but you it will also inspire you in your culinary tasks.

Here’s to a great organic garden & fabulous, healthy meals.

Copyright ? Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website & in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright © notice, links & the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside & outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening & Cooking. Visit her websites at Container Gardening & Gardening Outside & Herb Gardening

There are many rewards for tackling the back yard pass time of growing tomatoes: working our hands in the dirt is a form of meditation, it carries on traditions of our ancestors, & it slows our world down enough to enjoy spending some time with family & friends as we raise our tomato plants from infancy to maturity … together, as my sister & I’ll be doing today.

Why select organic. Simple. When your kid is playing soccer in the backyard or jumping around on the trampoline, they can walk over to your beautiful tomatoes still resting on it is vine & have a snack before going back to their play. This will cause you no concern. You used nothing while growing your tomatoes that will harm your family.

Of course, that is getting ahead of ourselves.

The reason we’re visiting today about how to grow organic tomatoes is because we’re not world class gardeners. My sisters green thumb feeds her family; my green thumb killed a cactus. Clear? I imagine you fall somewhere in between.

So, whatever gardening knowledge you bring to the table, join us in this simple process. Together we’re going to raise some beautiful tomato plants.

What day you can now start planting:

To find out what day you can now start planting, you’ll need to know the last frost date for your area. The best site we have found to give you this information is: http://www.usagardener.com/

Count back from the last frost date you found & count back seven to ten weeks. That will be the date you can now start your seeds.

To start you’ll need:

* Compost. Free if from your garden as we’re going to use today.

* Peat. Cost about $10.50

* One of the following: Hummis, dirt, top soil, potting soil. Approximate cost $3.00

It may take some time to find one of these without some version of ‘Miracle Grow’.

* Organic seeds. Cost varies. Average about $2.69

Lisa’s favorite seed companies that carry organic tomato seeds: Seeds of Change & Seed Savers.

* Bucket to mix compost, peat & Hummis in.

* Seed starter tray. We have chosen one with pop-out cells, a bottom tray that holds water, & a plastic cover.

* Popsicle sticks or something of the sort for labeling.

* Heating pad. (optional)

- Hand mix ¼ compost, ¼ Hummis, & ½ Peat in bucket.

Peat keeps the dirt mixture moist, keeping it from clumping together.

Fertilizer isn’t necessary. It can cause the plant to burn. Besides the seeds & dirt have everything necessary to grow & be healthy.

- Fill seed starter tray with mix. Evenly spread covering all the cells to the rim.

- Use your finger to make a small hole, approximately ¼ inch in every cell to place your seeds in.

- We place two seeds in each hole.

- Then gently recover the hole.

To wrap things up, fill bottom tray with water, replace seed cell tray, & cover with plastic lid.

Place your trays somewhere warm. Our favorite spot is the kitchen. If you decided to buy the heating pad, place your tray on that.

Check your water level many times over the next few hours. The dirt will need to soak up the water.

It will take about 6 to ten days for your seeds to germinate.

Watch for your seeds to show even the smallest sign that their starting to pop their heads up. This is when you must take the plastic lid off. Otherwise, they will start to dampen off & wilt. You’ll also start giving your tomato plants less water; walk the fine line of not letting them dry out.

When your plants start to gain their true leaves we will touch base again. Our next step will be to transplant our tomato plants to peat pods. Peat pods will give room for the roots to grow.

Together, we’re on our way.

Written by Joanna Simmons: http://learningthegray.blogspot.com/ For lots more information on how to grow organic tomatoes visit Joanna at http://growingorganictomatoes.blogspot.com/

Central to the science of agronomy is the topic of increasing crop yields & growing healthy plants that provide high nutritional value. While the debate will continue between organic & inorganic fertilizers one fact is clear. When it comes to feeding a hungry world inorganic fertilizers are unsurpassed in their ability to provide high levels of nutrients to plants in an efficient & economical manner. Understanding their differences helps us all to understand their appropriate uses.

Plants fed a strict diet of organic fertilizers are not necessarily healthier to eat than plants fed conventional or manufactured fertilizers. The nutritional quality of food is controlled by the amount & proportional balance of the nutrients fed to the plant, not by the source of the nutrient.

Fertilizers are made of organic or inorganic materials produced from natural or synthetic origins that are added to plant systems in order to supply one or more nutrients required for the plants healthy growth.

Fertilizers produced from organic materials contain carbon & either one or more of the essential plant nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium.

Animal manures, composts, sewage sludge & by-products from processed animal & vegetable materials are the most common organic fertilizers.

On the other hand carbon isn’t normally a component in the basic chemical structure of inorganic fertilizers. Usually referred to as manufactured, commercial, synthetic or mineral, inorganic fertilizers are produced from the naturally occurring substances of nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium.

Nitrogen (N), the most used nutrient in plants, comprises about 78% of the atmosphere. To produce nitrogen for fertilizers air is combined with methane from natural gas, and, under pressure & temperature, is converted to anhydrous ammonia which is the basis for most nitrogen fertilizers.

The fossilized remains of marine life deposited in the earth is the primary source of phosphorus (P), the second most used of the primary plant macro-nutrients, N P & K. Its conversion to usable form by the plant mimics natural processes occurring in the soil.

Evaporated oceans are the primary source of the salts from which potassium (K) is produced.

The primary difference between organic & inorganic fertilizers is the nutrient content. Organic fertilizers contain small concentrations of plant nutrients which means they must be applied at high rates in order to provide the nutrient needs of plants.

While it does contain nutrients, manures nutrient levels vary greatly from load to load. Nutrients in manure usually are not readily usable to the plants & are not properly balanced to provide all the nutrient needs the plant requires. Inorganic fertilizers on the other hand can be applied to the exact levels or nutrients required by the plants.

Transportation costs for manure are relatively high because its nutrient content is relatively low so it’s not economical for farm producers to move manure more than a few mile from the feedlot. Large amounts of organic fertilizers must be applied in order to meet the needs of the growing plants. A fifty pound bag of inorganic fertilizer is roughly equivalent to one ton of feedlot manure. In addition, applying excessive manure can create an environmental liability rather than a nutrient source.

Without the use of inorganic fertilizers farmers could not produce enough food to feed the world. The use of fertilizers accounts for an estimated 30-50% of crop yields in the U.S. Higher yields are common in developing areas of the world through the use of inorganic fertilizers. Still, crops use & get rid of more nutrients from the soil than we return with fertilizers. It’s a necessity to utilize inorganic fertilizers to replace the nutrients taken from the soil during crop growth. The use of inorganic fertilizers produces higher crop yields & higher yields mean more feed available for a hungry world.

We all need to have access to healthy, nutritious foods. Agronomy is the science of crop production, plant physiology & growing healthy plants that provide high nutritional value. To learn more visit http://www.agronomypros.com

In your organic garden it’s very important to have fertile soil to create the best possible growing conditions for healthy, tasty vegetables & great yields. So… Soil fertility is best when essential nutrients are available to your plants & when the humus levels are at five percent or more.

Humus is the stable decomposed remains of plant tissue. It’s a product of composted vegetable matter. The cellulose in humus acts like a sponge & holds moisture in the garden soil, available for growing plants, creating better drought tolerance. It has a water-holding capacity of up to five times its own weight.

It helps stop water-soluble nutrients from being leached from the soil via watering or rainfall by binding itself to the nutrients, but at the same time making them available to plant roots. It helps bring about a loose, crumbly structure in heavy clay soils, while allowing free drainage during excessive rain; & gives cohesion in sandy soils.

So you see that humus is really the very best way to overcome whatever problems you may have with your soil. Humus is also necessary to maintain healthy levels of essential soil organisms, fungi, bacteria & earthworms.

Sandy soils

Sandy soil has large, freely draining particles. Any nutrients present are leached by watering and/or rainfall.

You need to apply to the surface or dig in large amounts of humus to retain water & provide nutrients. All organic matter breaks down over time, so sandy soils will benefit from a large amount of compost, which will need replacing regularly. Always mulch well to reduce evaporation. A 20cm (4 inch) layer of mulch can reduce evaporation by up to 70%.

Sandy soils can become non-wetting soils, where any amount of irrigation will just run across the surface. If your soil is like this, you’ll need to add copious amounts of organic matter to correct this problem.

Clay soils

Clay soils are made up of tiny particles. Clear? It will hold water well, but the spaces between the soil particles are so small, there’s neither room for air, or space for water to escape. Clay soils tend to become boggy in wet weather, & dry out & crack in hot, dry weather. Clay soils often have high reserves of mineral elements, but roots are unable to mine them from the clay.

Gypsum is a well known clay breaker. Dig it into the soil for good effect. The clay will become friable & can then be made more workable by incorporating river sand & organic matter. You may want to construct raised beds to increase drainage.

Test Your Soil

Most soils are somewhere between the two extreme soil conditions above. A very simple, but effective way to test your soil is to use a glass jar. Add a handful of your soil, fill it with water & shake vigorously. Let it stand for a few hours until all the suspended materials have settled. You’ll see quite distinct layers. Course sand will be the lowest layer, then finer sands, silts, clays & lastly organic matter.

A good garden loam will have approximate equal proportions of clay, sands & silt, with a good percentage of humus or organic matter.

Soil pH

The acidity or alkalinity of your soil is also an important consideration. Most vegetables need a neutral to slightly acidic soil, with a pH of about 6.5. If your soil pH is not right, then some nutrients will be unavailable to your plants.

You can buy a pH testing kit at your local nursery ? they’re very easy to use.

The really great news is that no matter what kind of soil you’re starting with, the continued addition of humus & other organic materials will correct nearly ever problem kind of soil. Even your pH levels will balance out over time.

Hi, I’m an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It’s my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. Do you follow? This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Please visit my website & get your free 3 part Composting Guide. For Companion Planting info click here.

Happy gardening, healthy living?
Julie Williams
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

Redux

The organic food isn’t new. It’s more of a new realization in 1990s. Right. We came to a better knowledge of how conventional food differs. Clear? It all start in 1940s during the World War II period when the armed force used the chemical such as ammonium nitrate use for explosive has found that it help fertilize the crops. There is more. The variety chemicals using by armed force shift to the use for agricultural. The conventional food transform our life because of wonderful discover that chemicals increase the production capability. It elevate our ability to do more than what traditional life has offer over slow, manual, & the timing of seasonal replace with fast, automatic & demand on time.

Definition

By definition, organic food is category as produced without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic engineering, growth hormones, irradiations, & antibiotics. Clear? In groceries, the organic food can be misleading by the brand packing. Do you follow? The “100% organic” on the package means that the produces & meats use all organic ingredients. “Made with organic ingredients” use 70% of organic ingredients. There is more. The “organic” on the package mean there’re 95% of organic ingredients. So… Seldom, you’ll see a package with word, transitional, is the business that communicate that the organization & the farmer has a 3 years planning of going from conventional to organic in farming. It’s always good to follow “USDA Organic” on the package. The government has a role in organic produces & meat also impose the standard for the farmer to abide in develop an organic food.

Changes

The conventional food has raise our knowledge of potential risks it may cause by synthetic fertilizer & pesticide thus the organic farmer has take a closer look & reinvent the better way to grow their produces through innovation biology. The farmers have replaced the conventional method by using natural fertilizer to feed the soil. Bring in the insect predator such as bee to stop the other insects attacking the crops & promote pollinating. Do you follow? The farmer invests more energy to understand the science of cropping. With better knowledge of farming, the farmer use crop rotation, mechanical tillage, & management is more manual by hand pulling the weeds.

The assets of organic farming has contribution to restore an ecological balance that help conserve energy & protect the environment as result of stop soil fertility or pest problems. There is more. Through ecological conscious, it improves biodiversity by having better genetic pool to increase the plants & animal species. There is more. The reduce of synthetic fertilizers & pesticides usage, the agriculture is up-bring naturally that it help stop the nutrient losses & it also reduce the greenhouse effect that cause the global warming.

Drawbacks

We acknowledge that organic produces & meat has play a great health role in assisting our body by provide quality nutrients that is free of synthetic fertilizers & pesticides which is known cause cancer risks. On other side of coin, organic produce & meats have its own drawback. Since the organic farmer has decide to use natural fertilizer. One of natural fertilizer is using the manure. The use of manure may spread the contaminants if mishandled. Fungicides are not allowed since it’s chemical treatment approach & we may risk getting mycotoxins from molds in foods. There is more. The meat may have E. coli bacteria since the animal are to be free of antibiotic.

Bioengineering such as genetic manipulation in produces & meats are considered conventional. The bioengineering aims to solve world hunger problems & be easily able to grow anytime & anywhere with higher quality of nutrients packed in food. The resist of conventional method may affect the demand for food. Also by not allowing the chemical treatment to be used & the chance of shelf life of food life shortens. Organic food is expensive since the supply is small that create higher demand. The labor for organic food is greater thus it increase the production costs.

Changing & Growing

The increase of obesity & the knowledge of healthy responsible has drive us to take care of ourselves better by exercise & proper eating. Do you follow? The countries are already facing the threats of global warming that force us to change the way we do with our daily living such as recycling, reduce the transportation that use fuel, & conserve the water. Our knowledge are better than ever & the procedure of organic farming has got better & is oversee under strict standard. This has reduce the downside of organic farming & put the conventional farming to a shame.

Closing

In order to create a easy healthy recipes, the quality of nutrients we get are important in create a gourmet & healthy meal. The advance of knowledge & technological has make our cooking easy. Healthy recipes has grown daily due to the demand to living a higher & better quality of life. The preparation of meal has got better because it’s free of synthetic chemical that may has damage the natural flavoring. We are shift to natural living & to live to its simple ingredients at its finest.

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